Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Author Molly MacRae has created quite the amateur sleuthing quartet for the start of her new Highland Bookshop series. Janet Marsh is a librarian, her thirty-eight-year-old daughter Tallie a lawyer, Tallie's college roommate Summer Jacobs is a journalist, and Christine Robertson is a social worker who's returned to her Scottish roots. Between them all, they have plenty of experience that will help them solve crimes. Their decision to come to the Highlands, settle down and open a bookshop, tea room, and bed and breakfast will be seen as vicarious wish fulfillment by many readers, and MacRae does address some of the differences in the way things are done between Scotland and the United States.
There is also an interesting secondary cast that I can't wait to see become more fully fleshed as the series continues-- like Constable Norman Hobbs, a man called Rab and his dog who are both good at disappearing, and an elderly woman the four women call Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle who spends a lot of time in Yon Bonnie Books. I also loved the mentions of groups like "Obsessive Outlanders" and "Born-Again Bravehearts." If only I liked the local librarian as much, but she's simply too good at foisting her work off on others for that to happen.
Not everything was smooth sailing for me while reading Plaid and Plagiarism. The ladies do something that gets my dander up: they withhold evidence from the police. (Shame on them!) It's also a bit easy to deduce the identity of the killer, but with the book's Highland setting and the fine ensemble cast that the author has created, I am certainly looking forward to the next book in the series!
There is also an interesting secondary cast that I can't wait to see become more fully fleshed as the series continues-- like Constable Norman Hobbs, a man called Rab and his dog who are both good at disappearing, and an elderly woman the four women call Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle who spends a lot of time in Yon Bonnie Books. I also loved the mentions of groups like "Obsessive Outlanders" and "Born-Again Bravehearts." If only I liked the local librarian as much, but she's simply too good at foisting her work off on others for that to happen.
Not everything was smooth sailing for me while reading Plaid and Plagiarism. The ladies do something that gets my dander up: they withhold evidence from the police. (Shame on them!) It's also a bit easy to deduce the identity of the killer, but with the book's Highland setting and the fine ensemble cast that the author has created, I am certainly looking forward to the next book in the series!
Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae is the first book The Highland Bookshop Mystery series. Janet Marsh has just bought Yon Bonnie Books in Inversgail, Scotland along with Christine Robertson (Janet's best friend), Natalie "Tallie" Marsh (Janet's daughter), and Summer Jacobs (Tallie's friend and college roommate). Janet has been divorced almost five years from Curtis (she calls him The Rat). The four of them were ready for a change (especially Janet). They have plans to add a tearoom to be called Cakes and Tales and a B&B above the shop that they will call Bedtime Stories. Janet is anxious to get settled into her home (she received the house in the divorce settlement), but her estate agent, Jess stated it would be two more days (no other details). When Janet and Christine go to investigate, they find Jess in the kitchen which is full of garbage (and it reeks). Jess is less than forthcoming on why the kitchen contains garbage. The four ladies return that evening to explore the house further (make sure the rest of the house is in good condition). The check the shed in the garden and find the body of agony aunt, Una Graham with a sickle in her neck. Una had interviewed them earlier in the day for an article for the Inversgail Guardian. The four women started their investigation before the constable arrives on the scene. The four women combine their skills (reporter, librarian, social worker, and lawyer) and delve into their investigation. Will these amateur sleuths be able to bag the culprit?
I enjoy cozy mysteries because I get a mystery with a softer approach. I found Plaid and Plagiarism to have too much of the cozy factor. We have a charming Scottish town with a variety of gossipy, quirky characters. There are Gaelic words and phrases sprinkled judiciously throughout the story (did you know a bothy is a cottage). The book is nicely written (as are all of Molly MacRae's books), but I found the pace to be a little slow (and the book is too long). I felt that there were too many characters, and it is very difficult to keep them all straight. It is hard enough remembering the four main characters (which is three too many). The story is told from Janet's point-of-view so we get frequent mentions of her ex-husband and how he destroyed their marriage (do not forget that she calls him The Rat more often than be his name, Curtis). This group also visits Paudel's Newsagent, Post Office and Convenience (that is the whole name) frequently. In addition, we get chats with the owner as well as food and candy descriptions (they seem to eat sweets quite a bit). I give Plaid and Plagiarism 3 out of 5 stars. I think the book needed a little less of the quirky factor. There is the little old lady that sits in Yon Bonnie Books, reading their knitting books, and knitting (she knits little Nessie's). They have no clue who she is and they can barely understand her (this is just one example). The mystery was interesting (just not enough of it), but I was disappointed with the way it was handled. The ladies set up a document (in the cloud) that they keep track of the details of their investigation (which they review a few times). I prefer to solve the mystery myself. That is the best part of a cozy mystery. I figured out the killer early in the book, but I believe most readers will be surprised by the culprit's identity. I felt that the author tried to put too much in one book. The idea for the series has potential. I just felt that the books needed a little trimming and refining.
I enjoy cozy mysteries because I get a mystery with a softer approach. I found Plaid and Plagiarism to have too much of the cozy factor. We have a charming Scottish town with a variety of gossipy, quirky characters. There are Gaelic words and phrases sprinkled judiciously throughout the story (did you know a bothy is a cottage). The book is nicely written (as are all of Molly MacRae's books), but I found the pace to be a little slow (and the book is too long). I felt that there were too many characters, and it is very difficult to keep them all straight. It is hard enough remembering the four main characters (which is three too many). The story is told from Janet's point-of-view so we get frequent mentions of her ex-husband and how he destroyed their marriage (do not forget that she calls him The Rat more often than be his name, Curtis). This group also visits Paudel's Newsagent, Post Office and Convenience (that is the whole name) frequently. In addition, we get chats with the owner as well as food and candy descriptions (they seem to eat sweets quite a bit). I give Plaid and Plagiarism 3 out of 5 stars. I think the book needed a little less of the quirky factor. There is the little old lady that sits in Yon Bonnie Books, reading their knitting books, and knitting (she knits little Nessie's). They have no clue who she is and they can barely understand her (this is just one example). The mystery was interesting (just not enough of it), but I was disappointed with the way it was handled. The ladies set up a document (in the cloud) that they keep track of the details of their investigation (which they review a few times). I prefer to solve the mystery myself. That is the best part of a cozy mystery. I figured out the killer early in the book, but I believe most readers will be surprised by the culprit's identity. I felt that the author tried to put too much in one book. The idea for the series has potential. I just felt that the books needed a little trimming and refining.
Pamela C. (pj-s-bookcorner) reviewed Plaid and Plagiarism (Highland Bookshop, Bk 1) on + 885 more book reviews
Actually would be 3.5 stars if possible. Good start to a new series. Janet, her daughter and two friends decide to relocate to Scotland, buy a bookstore and start a new life after Janet's "rat of a husband" leaves. They meet a host of townspeople with quirks and feelings toward outsiders. But when one of them winds up murdered in Janet's shed, the hunt is on for the killer. Some of the characters were not fleshed out as well as I would have liked, but that may happen in the next book. Cozy read!
